Nemesia plant named ‘Intraiwhi’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Nemesia  plant named ‘Intraiwhi’, characterized by its upright, outwardly spreading to trailing plant habit; freely branching habit; dense and bushy appearance; early flowering habit; numerous white-colored flowers; and long flowering period.

Botanical designation: Nemesia hybrid.

Cultivar denomination: ‘Intraiwhi’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Nemesia plant, botanically known as Nemesia hybrid and referred to by the name ‘Intraiwhi’.

The new Nemesia is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventors in Gensingen, Germany. The objective of the program is to create new strong Nemesia cultivars with numerous flowers and unique flower colors.

The new Nemesia originated from a cross-pollination made by the Inventors of an unnamed Nemesia strumosa selection, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with an unnamed Nemesia fructicans selection, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent during the summer of 2001. The cultivar Intraiwhi was discovered and selected by the Inventors as a flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled environment in Gensingen, Germany during the spring of 2002.

Asexual reproduction of the new Nemesia by terminal cuttings in a controlled environment in Gensingen, Germany since June, 2002, has shown that the unique features of this new Nemesia are stable and are reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The new Nemesia has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phototype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature, daylength and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following characteristics have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be basic characteristics of ‘Intraiwhi’ and distinguish ‘Intraiwhi’ as a new and distinct cultivar:

-   -   1. Upright, outwardly spreading to trailing plant habit.     -   2. Freely branching habit; dense and bushy appearance.     -   3. Early flowering habit.     -   4. Numerous white-colored flowers.     -   5. Long flowering period.

Plants of the new Nemesia differ primarily from plants of the female parent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Nemesia are more outwardly spreading than         and not as upright as plants of the female parent selection.     -   2. Plants of the new Nemesia flower for a longer period of time         than plants of the female parent selection.

Plants of the new Nemesia differ primarily from plants of the male parent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Nemesia have larger flowers than plants of         the male parent selection.     -   2. Plants of the new Nemesia and the male parent selection         differ in flower color as plants of the male parent selection         have white to soft pink-colored flowers.

Plants of the new Nemesia can be compared to plants of the cultivar Intriayel, disclosed in a U.S. Plant patent application Ser. No. 11/174,964, filed concurrently. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Gensingen, Germany, plants of the new Nemesia differed primarily from plants of the cultivar Intraiyel in flower color as plants of the cultivar Intraiyel had pale yellow-colored flowers.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Nemesia, showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Nemesia.

The photograph at the top of the sheet comprises a side perspective view of a typical plant of ‘Intraiwhi’ grown in a container.

The photograph at the bottom of the sheet comprises a close-up view of typical flowers of ‘Intraiwhi’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and following observations and averaged measurements describe plants grown in Bonsall, Calif., in an outdoor nursery during the late summer with day temperatures ranging from 18° C. to 35° C. and night temperatures ranging from 7° C. to 18° C. After rooting, plants were grown for ten weeks in 15-cm containers with one plant per container. Color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Nemesia hybrid cultivar Intraiwhi. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female parent.—Unnamed Nemesia strumosa selection, not             patented.         -   Male parent.—Unnamed Nemesia fructicans selection, not             patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—By vegetative cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots.—About 10 to 14 days at 20° C.         -   Time to develop roots.—About two to three weeks at 20° C.         -   Root description.—Fine; white in color.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching. -   Plant description:     -   -   General appearance.—Upright, outwardly spreading to trailing             plant habit; broad inverted triangle. Freely branching,             typically about twelve primary lateral branches; numerous             secondary and tertiary lateral branches. Vigorous growth             habit.         -   Plant height.—About 29 cm.         -   Plant diameter or spread.—About 50 cm.         -   Lateral branches.—Appearance: Square in cross-section with             longitudinal ridges. Length: About 30 cm. Diameter: About             3.5 mm. Internode length: About 2 cm. Strength: Strong.             Texture: Sparsely pubescent. Color: 144A.         -   Foliage description.—Arrangement: Opposite, simple; sessile.             Shape: Lanceolate. Apex: Acute. Base: Obtuse. Length: About             3.4 cm. Width: About 1.2 cm. Margin: Serrate. Texture, upper             and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Venation pattern:             Pinnate, arcuate. Color: Developing leaves, upper and lower             surfaces: 146A. Fully expanded leaves, upper surface: 147A.             Fully expanded leaves, lower surface: 147B. Venation, upper             and lower surfaces: 147B. -   Flowering description:     -   -   Arrangement/appearance.—Zygomorphic solitary flowers             arranged on terminal racemes; flowering acropetally towards             apex. Flowers bilabiate with nectar spur. Flowers face             upright and outward. Flowers last about five days on the             plant. Flowers not persistent.         -   Natural flowering season.—Long flowering period; natural             flowering season is spring to fall; flowering continuous             during this period.         -   Quantity of flowers.—Freely flowering with about 22 flowers             and flowers buds per inflorescence.         -   Fragrance.—None detected.         -   Inflorescence length.—About 17 cm.         -   Inflorescence diameter.—About 2.7 cm.         -   Flower diameter.—About 1 cm by 1.4 cm.         -   Flower depth, including nectar spur.—About 1.2 cm.         -   Flower buds.—Nectar spur length: About 1 cm. Shape: Ovoid             with spur. Length including spur: About 1.4 cm. Diameter:             About 6 mm. Color: 155D.         -   Petals.—Arrangement/shape: Five petals in a single whorl.             Four upper petals are fused at base to form an upright lobed             and arched banner lip; lower petal modified into a larger             lip with nectar spur and central protuberance which serves             as pollinator nectar guide and landing platform. Apex:             Rounded. Margin: Entire. Length: Upper lip petals: About             3 mm. Lower lip petal: About 7 mm. Width: Upper lip petals:             About 4 mm. Lower lip petal: About 8 mm. Texture, upper and             lower surfaces: Smooth, velvety. Color: When opening, upper             surface: 155D. When opening, lower surface: 157D. Fully             opened, upper surface: 155D; stripes, banner petal only,             79C. Fully opened, lower surface: 155D; stripes, 79C. Nectar             guide: 14A. Nectar spur: 157D.         -   Sepals.—Quantity: Five-parted, star-shaped calyx. Shape:             Elliptic. Apex: Acute. Base: Fused. Margin: Entire. Length:             About 1.5 mm. Diameter: About 1 mm. Texture, upper and lower             surfaces: Pubescent. Color, upper and lower surfaces: 146A.         -   Peduncles.—Length: About 3.5 cm. Diameter: About 1.5 mm.             Strength: Moderately strong. Angle: Upright to 45° from the             stem. Color: 146A.         -   Pedicel.—Length: About 1 cm. Diameter: Less than 1 mm.             Strength: Moderately strong. Angle: About 45° from the stem.             Color: 146B.         -   Androecium.—Stamen number: Four per flower. Anther shape:             Oval. Anther length: Less than 1 mm. Anther color: 13A.             Amount of pollen: Scarce. Pollen color: 13A.         -   Gynoecium.—Pistil number: One per flower. Pistil length:             About 2 mm. Style length: About 1 mm. Style color: 157C.             Stigma shape: Rounded. Stigma color: 145D. Ovary color:             145A.         -   Seed/fruit.—Seed and fruit production has not been observed             on plants of the new Nemesia. -   Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Nemesia have not been     observed to be resistant to pathogens or pests common to Nemesias. -   Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Nemesia have been observed     to be tolerant to temperatures ranging from 2° to 35° C. 

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Nemesia plant named ‘Intraiwhi’, as illustrated and described. 